Nursing Students in a Developing Nation using the Internet: A phenomenological study

Using a qualitative phenomenologial method, this study's semi-structured interviews illuminate the lived experience of nursing students from a developing nation, Malawi, Africa, in using the Internet as an educational resource. Analysis proceeded according to van Manen's qualitative phenomenological method.

Five essential themes emerged from the students’ stories of their experiences: maintaining interpersonal connections with family and friends, using the Internet to find information, adapting information to fit their culture, using the information they find from developed nations as a comparative standard for care, and facing the challenges of learning to use technology.

Ultimately, the Internet provides these undergraduate nursing students a window of hope. They now know how to provide quality nursing care and bring change to the lives of those they serve by searching for and using the information they find on the Internet and linked research databases. The insight into the students’ experiences demonstrates the value of increasing Internet availability to college communities in developing nations.